Westminster dog show handlers 'get to work with dogs all day'

Today and Tuesday, top canines from around the world compete at Madison Square Garden in the 137th annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show. More than 2,700 dogs representing 187 breeds will grace the green carpet this year — the highest number of entries in 15 years. 210 prized pooches hail from Pennsylvania alone.

I will be glued to live coverage of the group judging both evenings (CNBC Monday, USA Network Tuesday) For the first time, breed judging will be video streamed "real time" throughout the day at http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org. To check the ring times for your favorite breeds, click on "Judging Program."

While the furry competitors rightfully steal the show each year, I'm always fascinated by the two-legged being at the other end of the leash. As the world's worst handler, I know how difficult it is to present a dog properly. The pros and skilled owner/handlers make it look easy.

After falling on my dog at one show and being kicked out of the ring at two others, I realized this was not a craft I could master. There was nothing wrong with the dogs. It was ME, either fiddling with the leash, setting up the dog to look crippled or not following the judge's directions. A combination of jangled nerves and klutzy moves, it just wasn't to be.

A skilled handler virtually disappears. His or her smooth, artful moves accentuate the dog's best features and camouflage faults. Your eyes go right to the gorgeous creature at the end of the leash. Even baiting the dog requires just the right hand movements so as not to interfere with the judge's view of the dog.

One misperception about professional handlers is that they only care about the bucks or that the dogs sit in crates all day starving. Without question there are some bad seeds out there, but the handlers I follow treat their dogs like royalty.

Jessy Sutton of Perkiomenville, Montgomery County, is one such pro. The former junior handler and apprentice has handled dogs at Westminster since 1993. As full-time handlers, he and wife Roxanne will be showing 15 champions at the Garden this year.

Their furry clients travel stylishly in a specially equipped rig. Special meals, exercise and grooming are provided daily. The Suttons are passionate about the care and comfort of their show dogs. The duo put AKC championships on 49 dogs in 2012.

Sutton says, "The best thing about our jobs is that we get to work with dogs all day. We are very lucky. Some people like to sell things. We like to work with the animals."

He explains that unlike a typical job, showing dogs is a lifestyle. There are no real days off or vacations. Every morning the dogs must be cared for whether at a show or not. "The dogs in our care get things many average pets don't — specific diets, baths, daily brushing and exercise conditioning. An unhappy or out-of-shape dog will not enjoy shows. They get more attention than I do!" he says.

As for the skill involved in exhibiting show dogs Sutton emphasizes that some people have God-given talents and others can learn (I'm the exception). "Our job isn't just about trotting a dog around the ring. A large part is preparation to make sure they look good and enjoy the experience," he says. "Smoothly using a squeaky toy or liver treat to get the dog's attention or strike the right gait requires dexterity."

"I have been blessed to be offered such beautiful dogs to show and appreciate the clients who believed in me at such a young age. They helped me become the man and professional that I am today," he says.

Another handler I study almost obsessively is Ernesto Lara of Bowmansville. One of the most accomplished handlers in today's dog show world, you'll likely see him with "Joey," the Affenpinscher in the Toy Group and "Phoebe," a Scottie in the Terrior Group at Westminster.

Karen Steinrock is a pet columnist based in Grantham, Cumberland County. Send questions/comments and photo of your pet to ksteinrock@comcast.net or to P.O. Box 306 Grantham, PA 17027. Please include home town and phone number.